Compound drier for coated disks



June 13, 1939- 'c. A. .JHNs'roNE 2,162,336

COMPOUND DRIER FOR COATED DISKS m a. M BY @ma ITTORNYS.

.lume 13, 1939. c; A. JoHNs'roNE GOPOUND DRIER EUR COATED DISKS Fuga sept. 7, 1957 v 4 sheets-sheet 2 BY l Arm `s.

June 13, 1939,.

` c. A. JoHNsTNE COMPOUND DRIER FOR COATED DISKS Filed sept. '7, 19:57 4 sheets-sheet `s y INVENTOR.

June 13, 1939- c. Aj JoHNsToNE COMPOUND DRIER FOR COATED DISKS Filed sept. 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented June 13, 1939 PATENT OFFICE COMPOUND DR'IER FOR COATED DISKS Charles A. Johnstone, San Francisco, Calif., as-

signor to-Pacic Can Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application September 7, 1937, Serial No. 162,704

'z claims. (c1. 34-11) This invention relates to mechanism for handling circular disks, and particularly disks to which coatings have been applied,-such as tops for cans. l o Y The object of the presentinvention is to provide automatic means forfeeding circular disks into, through and out of a machine without any part of the mechanism coming into contact with the coated face of the disks; to provide a novel lo form of retracting mechanism for controlling the pawls feeding the disks; to provide means for quickly moving onel` disk vertically out of the path of the disk next'I in line and then slowing the movement of said disk to prolong its time of o, passagethrough the machine; to provide a mechanism having a plurality of relatively short travel channels and means for transferring the disks one at a time fiom one channel to the other; to 'provide a structure of simple construction easily o' adjusted for various sized disks. v

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be brought out in the following description,

^ taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is la side elevation with parts out away `26 to show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is likewise a side elevation .taken atright angles to Fig. 1 looking toward theleft hand or motor side,` here again parts being omitted to show features of construction;

o Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view`partly in section of the disk transfer Ymechanism at the top of the machine;

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 3,lshowing the same parts in a different period of the operation cycle;

, Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Vthe mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with parts broken away to show the diskengaging pawl parts;

Fig. 6 is-a cross-section taken on the lin VI-VI of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 'l is a perspective view of one pawl control cam and bar;l and rig. a' is a similar viewer the pam andas supporting bar. I. The invention in the form shown and described herein is designed for the drying of treated or coated disks such as canends andhas provision for their being. fed in one by one at the bottom of the machine,from which point they travel upward to the top and are transferred to means for carrying them down and at the bottom are transferred to means for carrying them to the top, from which point they pass out of the machine completely dried.

Broadly, therefore, the machine comprises a ,u mechanism to feed the disks into the machine each other.

after being coatedfmeans to elevate these disks, means to transfer the disks when they reach the top of this mechanism, means to receive the disks and lower them through the machine, means to transfer the disks to an elevating mechanism, 5 means to lift the disks again to the top` of the machine, and means' to remove the disks from the top of this mechanism completely dried.

In order to clarify the drawings illustrating this invention, the casing used to house the elel0 vating and lowering vmechanisms has been Y omitted', but it is to be understood that in actual use the machine is 'provided with a housing, its purpose being to confine the heated air within itlike an? oven, t'o accomplish drying of the coatl5 ing on the disks. )Also omitted is any showing of the burner used.i 1,1 heating the air and the means for circulating'or forcing this heated air through the machine. Another omission is any detailed showing ofthe coating mechanism usually placed adjacent the machine. These constitute no part of the present invention and any suitable burner and circulating mechanism as wellsv as coating mechanism may be employed.

The operating parts of the machineare erected on a base I|l which usuallyrests on the floor. Attached to this base is a frame Work generally indicated by the numeral Il supporting the elevating screws I2, .I3 and I4. At the top of ythe framework II is mounted the top disk transferdisks. 0

Elevatlng screws I2 and I4, and lowering screws 4 I3 in pairs, are journaled in suitable bearings I8 in base I0, andv are journaled in plain bearings at the top in frame member 2Il`at 2 I. Frame members I0 and 20 are connected by suitable 45 spacing members 22 and tie bolts 23.

'l Elevatlng means I2 and I4 and lowering means I3 accomplish their function by having a conf tinuous thread 2| formed thereon and spaced apart throughout the major portion of their length` a. distance suicient .to prevent the adjacent disks'supported thereon from contacting Near the ,ends of each of these screws the threads are spaced apart as shown at 25, the purposeof the wider spacing being to cause a more rapid movement of the disks when iirst.;engaged by the thread, and also when being given up Vby the thread at the end of its travel. The need for the accelerated movement of the disk when it first enters and when it leaves the traveling screws is to get it out of the way of the next disk being fed into or off of the screw. Once the disks have begun their travel, it is desirable that they move as` slowly as possible so as to prolong the drying eilect of,the air being circulated around them. The efilciency of the machine depends upon having as many disksas it is physically possible to accommodate on each screw. Guide rods I9 with suitable clearances maintain the disks in a position of balance on threads 24 and 25.

In the drawings, for the sake of clarity, disks have been'omitted between the pairs of screws I2, I3 and I4 except that at 26 and 23 in Fig. 2 disks are represented as being supported by the adjacent pairs of lifting screws I2. It is to be understood that in actual operation there may be a disk supported at each convolution of the thread. l

'I'he drive to the pairs of feed screws, which must operate at the same speed and also must be adjusted so that the disks 26 and I3 are supported in a horizontal manner, is accomplished in this device by means of the helical gears 21 secured on the lower ends of feed screw shafts I2, I3 and I4. These are engaged by helical gears 28in turn rigidly secured to cross shaft 30, journaled in base I0. To enable the machine to accommodate disks of varying sizes each pair of feed screws,jl2, I3

and I4, is mounted in adjustable brackets` 3| inI top frame 20 and adjustable base plates. 32 in base I0. By referring to Fig. 2 it willj`be seen thatthe pair of feed screws I2-"on the left hand bank are set close together to take a small disk 33 while those in the right hand bank are set apart more widely totakelthe larger disk 26.

Suitable attaching means such ascap screws are.

employed to secure these f adjustable bearing plates 2i and 32 in the desired position. It should be noticed that byemploying helical gears 21 and 28 in driving each pair of screws I2, the need for intricate and delicate adjustments of each pair of screws is unnecessary because the gears which drive each cooperating pair of screws have their teeth inclined opposite to each other so that an equal movement of each screw away from the center line between the two will preserve the cooperating threads in correct alignment at the point where they support the disk 26.

The reversed rotation of lowering feed screws I I with respect to lifting feed screws I2 and I4 is accomplished by driving hlical gears 29 on thelower ends of screws Il from the opposite side of helical gears 28 (see Fig. 1). The preferred form of drive shown in this case calls for the intermeshing of all five gears, namely, the

helical gears 21 on the bottoms of feed screws I2Y and I4, helical gears 28 on horizontal shafts 30 and 34, and helical gear`29 on the lower end of feed screw Il. Horizontal shafts 30 and 24 are journaled in suitable hangersli and 36 respecltively in base I Il. The drive to shaft 311 is from Amotor 90 to pulley 9| on shaft 92 having a A hydraulic ram sensitive mechanism housedat 84, but as this' constitutes no part of the present invention and is well known in the art, a detailed description.

need not be given.

The general practice is to have the disks enter the machine with the coated side up. They 'may be placed in the magazine 4d mountedon base I0, from which they are fed into the liner applying mechanismby an automatic feeding mechanism. `Due to the fact that the lower surfaces of the disks are Anot coated, particular care against scratching this lower surface is not necessary.

As already noted, the lining mechanism attached to the right of the machine as shown in Fig. l comprises the parts lili, E02, 03, |04, etc., but these are well known in the art and do not constitute part of the present invention.

One form of feed mechanism suitable for use in handling the disks as they come oif the lining head IDI is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and comprises the reciprocating member 4I, having a depending boss 42 connected by links 43, 44,'and adjustable link lt5 pivoted to crank 4E, rigidly mounted on shaft 34. Rotation of crank 46 imparts a reciprocating movement to member 4I.

The reciprocation of member 4I is employedI to feed disks to lifting screws .|2, and also to move disks from the lower end of lowering feed screws I3 into screws I4. The latter function is accomplished by pawl 41 pivoted horizontally to member 4l so that it may be depressed on the 4the return stroke to pass beneath the disk moved into position over it and which will next b'e moved into screws I2 on its forward`stroke.

One of the important objects obtained by the present invention is the avoidance of any contact of the machine parts with the coated upper surface of the disks as they pass through the machine during the drying operation. This is most likely to occur during the transfer of the disks from lifting screws I2 to lowering screws I3, and when the dried disks are being ejected from the machine as they leave lifting screws IH. As the disks reach the top of lifting screws I2 and I4, it is necessary to move them as suggested abovepand it is necessary to do this by a mechanism lwhich operates and reciprocates above the disks.

It has heretofore been the practice in mechanisms of this type to allow the disk moving mechanism to drag across the face of the next disk reaching the top of the lifting screws. This invention provides a mechanism whereby the ejecting means, in this case a pawl, is under control at all times and is automatically held in retracted position on the return stroke when. it would otherwise drag across the coated face of the disk reaching the top. l

The mechanism now to be described is applicable not only to the machine .of the type herein shown but would also be applicable to any flat sheet handling apparatus where the coated sheets are fed step by step by a pawl or other engaging device which back-tracks on itself.

In Figs. 3 and 4 thereis shown a preferred embodiment of the invention' which employs pawls 5l and 5I to move disks 52 and 53 respectively out of feed screws I2 and I4 (omitted except for in magazine 40, and are picked off the bottom the presence of the reference numeral, for purposes of clarity) ,'as they are lifted to the end of the thread. The disks are shown spaced as they would beby threads 25 and 24 (see Fig. 3). Fig. 4 shows pawls 50 and 5I in the desired retracted position on their back stroke. Disk 53 has been moved out of the machine as the pawl 5I traveled to the left. Disk 54 has almost reached the top of screw I4 from whence it will be ejected. Disk 52 has been moved into the threads of lowering screws I3 and is ready to begin its downward traverse. Disk 55 has almost come to the top of lifting screws I2.

Control of pawls 50 and 5| is obtained by providing a pair of reciprocating members and 5I arranged to move relative to each other as they reciprocate. Reciprocating member 60 has pawls 5|] and A5I pivoted therein at 62 and 53 with a suitable spring 64, 65, respectively, provided to effect a quick return of each pawl to operating position. An angled projection 66 and 61 ls formed on the. upper right hand portion of pawls 50 and 5| respectively, each projectionbeing arranged for sliding contact with its cooperating cam 68 and 69 respectively. Cams 88 and 69 are preferably case-hardened and are secured to reciprocating bar member 6I. In Fig; 3 the cams are shown at the left of pawl projections 66 and 6l, whereas in Fig. A4 they are shown in'engagement therewith and effecting the lifting of the pawls 'out of the path traveled by the pawl on its working stroke.

In this particular embodiment, control of each set of reciprocating members 50 and 5I is obtained by driving them from a common disk 10, having crank pins 'II and I2 thereon, the latter being connected by rods 13 and 'I4 respectively to pins I5 and 16 in bosses I1 and 18, secured to the ends of reciprocating members 50 and 5I. It will be noticed that crank pins II vand-'Iii are set apart, in this embodiment, there being a thirty degree lead, with? the result that reciprocating members 50 and 6.I j move at different times. Thus, member EL; Will' begin a return movement causing camsY Il, and 69 to contact projections 66 and 61; before or at least simultaneously with reciprocating member 6|! reaching the extreme en d of its stroke at the left. Likewise, reciprocating. member 6I will begin its movement tothe leftfcausing cams 68 and 59 to release pawls 5B and l5I before reciprocating member; eginsits working stroke to the left.

The drive to disk I0 carrying crankpins 1I and 'I2 is accomplishedby means of bevel gear 80 secured to short shaft 8l carrying disks 1D.

' Bevel gear 82 engages gear 8l and is secured on 'the end of vertical shaft 83 journaled in upper 'member 20 and at its lower end in base III be- Assuming that motor 90 is in operation, the clutch engaged, and the parts are functioning as described above, a plurality of disks are placed of the pile one by one by the lining mechanism and eventually deposited separately to be picked up by pawl 48 on reciprocating bar 4I and fed step by step into the lower thread 25 of lifting screws I2. This lower thread 25 is of higher pitch than the balance of the thread 24 so as to lift the disk quickly out of the way of the next disk being inserted by pawl 48. The disk lies between lifting screws I2, being guided and held in the threads of the screw by guide rods I9, suitably positioned on each side. As the disk reaches the upper end of screws I2, the thread of higher pitch corresponding to thread 25 at the bottom accelerates the lift imparted to the disk so that pawl 50 may engage it and move it out from between screws I2into the threads of screws The disk travels down under control of screws I3 until it reaches the bottom where it is engaged by pawl 4'I and moved out from between screws I3 into the threads of lifting screws I4. The disk rises between threads I4 to the top of the screws from whence it is ejected by Vpawl 5I into a 'chute or other conveyor means and carried to a station for subsequent operations.

The above description has dealt with a sin'gle disk in its passage through the machine, but it is understood, of course, that the machine is capable of and intended to handle disks fed to it on each stroke of pawl 48. Pawl 48 is timed to make a complete round trip for each revolution of the lifting screws with the result that there is a disk suspended between each adjacent thread when the machine is in operation.

It is not intended to limit the invention to the specic disclosure of a preferred form herein made, except Aas the claims may require.

I claim:

1. In a sheet feeding machine adapted to handle coated sheets which, if scratched, are rendered less valuable, the combination of a reciprocating member, a sheet engaging finger hinged thereto, means for controlling said nger on its non-working stroke to swing it into a position where it cannot contact any adjacent lying sheet, said means releasing said finger substantially at the beginning of the working stroke to engage edgewiSe a single one of said sheets at a time.

f 2. In a sheet feeding machine adapted to handle coated sheets which, if scratched, are rendered less valuable, the combination of a reciprocating member, a sheet engaging finger hinged thereto, a second reciprocatingA member lying adjacent said finger, means for driving said pair of reciprocating members so thateach c hanges its direction of travel at a different time from the otherwhereby this difference effects control of. said finger.

3. In a sheet feeding machine adapted to handle coated sheets which, if scratched, are rendered less valuable, the combination of a reciprocating member, a sheet engaging iinger hinged thereto, a second reciprocating member lying adja-l cent said finger, and moving in a plane parallel to the plane in which the other reciprocating member moves, means for driving said pair of reciprocating members so that each changes its direction of travel at a different time from the other, whereby this difference effects control of said finger.

4. In a sheet feedingwmachine adapted to han- 4 4 arcades die coated sheets which, if scratched, are rendered less valuable, the combination of a res. In a transfer mecnanismsdapted to im-4 part a step by step horizontal movement to coated articles without permitting any contact between the moving means and the coated surface, the combination of a pair of reciprocating members arranged adjacent each other, a finger pivoted in one of said members, said finger serving to impart movement to an article when moved in one direction and to 'swing on laid vpivot into retracted position whenmoved in the other direction, means on the other of said reciprocating members for effecting said last-named result, and means for moving both of said reciprocating members in synchronism but in' such a manner that one begins its return stroke before the other.

6. In a transfer mechanism adapted to impart a step by step horizontal movement to coated articles without permitting any'contact between the moving means and the coated surface, the

combination of a. pair of reciprocating members arranged adjacent each other, a iinger pivoted in one of said members, said finger serving to impart movement to an article when moved in one direction and to' swing on said pivot into retracted position when moved in the other direction,a cam face on the other of said reciproeating members to engage said finger for effecting said' last-named result, and means for moving both of said reciprocating members in synchronism but in such a manner that one be- .gins its return stroke before the other, whereby the cam isefiective for its purpose during the return stroke of the tlnger.

7. In a transfer mechanism adapted to impart a step by step horizontal movement to coated articles without permitting any contact between the moving means and the coating surface, the combination of a pair of reciprocating members arranged in slidable engagement with each other, a finger pivotally mounted in one of said members, resilient means urging said finger into position' to move an article, a cam on the other of said members positioned to engage said finger retractively in one relative position of said members, means for moving said reciprocating members in synchronization, said cam holding me'mber having phase lead suillcient to cause said finger to be retracted during the movement in one direction.

vCIHARLES A. JOI-INSTONE. 

